BLOWN OUT TO SEA

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1278, 6 November 1911, Page 8

BLOWN OUT TO SEA

AMD THEN BECALMED. I'XI.IK'KY TIUI' FROM THIS I'OIIT. Afl'-r balllim: against intvcv-n weather for Iwoulv-ciglil d.'.vs, Hio Kalian ship Ati-lrntin'rainplcbd her pa-sage Irani Wellington In Auckland, a distance of Mil mi,is, <Mi Thursday uighl, emliiu'iitg in I),<- hn)-l»iti" ;i! -even nVI,:c!:. 'I'll:', v* ~.| Iml :i very trying experience, being blown on! lo sen ,v- lar ::•■■ Ihe Keriiiadu: (Mauds Mini lln: captain (Giovanni All---oiiiain; lie cribed the trip as, "a nw-t iiuAn ac-nint. of I lio voyage was given lo a "1/Ti-nlri" I'oporlor li.v lajilain Aaloninni. The Aii-lralia was towel out of Wellington Harbour on llio morning nf October !>, ami liail weather was fju-oiin-liri-d .'.mi af'cr the In- was iarrwcllcd. On arriving oil' Cape I'niliscr Hie vessel was ini'l. liy strong head winds and was gradually blown sx,ii!liw,ird«. lor eight days I In' wind blew willi hun-irano force, ami Hie Ati.Mralia -ni'.rtl a zig-zag course in the vicinity ol I hi.' Cape until u change nf wind earned li*r w»V.<. Tin; <vraiin-i ii]i till this was not exceptionally rough, Iml. Um conditions wore far from plens.•iiil. On Ocl-.b.-r 10 anil 17 the wind inciorirod in velocity, ami Hit: ship received a rouf?h lnmllih' o '.' Ilcail winds brought head seas 11 Jonsr, .".ml tii" decks of Um vi's-c! were almost continually awash. During the height of the st.iii-ni the inner jil) was carrio.T away, mid this proved lo ho the only ihimnc smlainrd during the voyage. Squally ttviiliii'i conliiiiied for the next fi'iv days; "hut," added the. captain, "we worn being blown away from Now Zealand nil llio lime. One day, when favourable winds prevailed, wc made 210 miles—the longest distance! for one day— lust inosl. days we lo>t ground, being blown furl her and further from our course." The pas-age from Cape l'alliser lo nil the Ka l t. Cape was made in comparatively quick time, but at litis stage of the voyage head winds were again experienceil, and the Australia was rapidly blown out to m . Th»w conditions continued for pome time, and eventually the vessel was becalmed off the Kcrinndtc, islands, over iiO miles from the Xoiv Zealand ■ cc.ist. "Things were bad, in any ease," remarked the captain, "but the fact that 1 was six men short in the crew did not improve matters, (fix of my men deserted at Wellington, and so it was fortunate, that none of the crew were injured during the tempestuous voyage." Eventually a change in the weather terminated the Australia's stay in the vicinity of Ihe Keruindocs, hut it was onlv after seven days that the ship sighted the Great Harrier on Wednesday morning. Then the vessel had her first communication with laud since leaving Wellington, when she signalled Cape Brett. At about five o'clock on Thursday morning, when the ship was near the lion and Chickens, the tug Lyticlton came to her assistance. A tow-line was connected, and without furl tier adventure the Australia was towed to an anchorage in the .stream. The Australia has had an unpleasant voyage cv;r since she set sail from Marseilles for Wellington direct on April S. During the long voyage the ship met with some exceptionally rough weather. On one occasion, whe.ii she was off the Amsterdam Islands', a heavy sea came on board, and carried everything before it. All the deck gear on the poop was washed overboard, including the ivheeihouse, wheel and compass. 'm e master and a sailor were Ladiy knocked about and were laid up for some time. ,